Page:Women in Love, Lawrence, 1920.djvu/39

Rh "Christ! Marshall, go and talk to somebody else," cried Gerald, with sudden impatience.

"By God, I'm willing," said Marshall, in a temper. "Too much bloody soul and talk altogether — "

He withdrew in a dudgeon, Gerald staring after him with angry eyes, that grew gradually calm and amiable as the stoutly built form of the other man passed into the distance.

"There's one thing, Lupton," said Gerald, turning sud- denly to the bridegroom. "Laura won't have brought such a fool in to the family as Lottie did."

"Comfort yourself with that," laughed Birkin.

"I take no notice of them," laughed the bridegroom.

"What about this race then — who began it?" Gerald asked.

"We were late. Laura was at the top of the church-yard steps when our cab came up. She saw Lupton bolting towards her. And she fled. — But why do you look so cross? Does it hurt your sense of the family dignity?"

"It does, rather," said Gerald. "If you're doing a thing, do it properly, and if you're not going to do it properly, leave it alone."

"Very nice aphorism," said Birkin.

"Don't you agree?" asked Gerald.

"Quite," said Birkin. "Only it bores me rather, when you become aphoristic."

"Damn you, Rupert, you want all the aphorisms your own way," said Gerald.

"No, I want them out of the way, and you're always shoving them in it."

Gerald smiled grimly at this humourism. Then he made a little gesture of dismissal, with his eyebrows.

"You don't believe in having any standard of behaviour at all, do you?" he challenged Birkin, censoriously.

"Standard — no. I hate standards. But they're necessary for the common ruck. Anybody who is anything can just be himself and do as he likes."

"But what do you mean by being himself?" said Gerald.

"Is that an aphorism or a cliche?"

"I mean just doing what you want to do. I think it was